2025 Wrap-Up: Worcester Theatres Celebrate a Remarkable Year
15 January 2026
Following a milestone 60th anniversary year at the Swan Theatre, Worcester Theatres is looking ahead to an ambitious 2026 after welcoming tens of thousands of audiences across its venues in 2025. For the entirety of 2025, 117 shows were held at the Swan Theatre, 27 shows at Swan Studio, along with 91 shows at Huntingdon Hall. 2025 marked a monumental and celebratory year, laying strong foundations for 2026. Let's have a look at some of our 2025 monthly highlights!
March & April
In Spring 2025, The Young Rep performed Brian Play on the Swan Theatre stage, written by Chloë Lawrence-Taylor and Paul Sirett for the 30th NT Connections Youth Theatre Festival. The NT Connections festival, led by the National Theatre, provides the opportunity for thousands of young people to perform in theatres across the UK from a selection of 10 new plays written by developing and professional writers. Looking forward to 2026, we will be hosting NT Connections Festival 2026 on Mon 30 March to Wed 1 April 2026 join us at the Swan Theatre for 3 days of exciting new work performed by the theatre makers of the future!
June
In June, Worcester Theatres held the Summer of 65 event celebrating the Swan Theatre’s 60th anniversary from its opening in 1965. Featuring performances from local talented performers and organisations who performed on the Swan Theatre stage, this fabulous show raised money for our 60th anniversary fundraiser.
Our 60th anniversary fundraiser was launched on World Theatre Day in March 2025 with aims to raise £60,000 in just 12 months. This fundraiser will support future projects to make our venues more accessible, update our facilities, and support young people’s access to the performing arts. All donations will support a celebration of the theatre’s six decades of commitment to nurturing and showcasing talent in drama, music, dance, comedy and spoken word in Worcester. Donate to our fundraiser here.
July
In July, the Worcester Repertory Company produced Sense & Sensibility held at the Commandery in Worcester. 1,360 people attended the show between the 10th and 20th of July. Adapted and directed by Paul Milton, Creative Director at Everyman Theatre Cheltenham, the Sense & Sensibility production was a big hit with audiences. Following the success of a Jane Austen adaptation, the Worcester Rep Company will be producing Northanger Abbey at the Commandery Gardens in July 2026.
During this month we also held our Saucy Summer event in the Swan Studio, this swinging sixties event was a night of glitz and glamour featuring fabulous drag artists and hilarious comedy. Featuring artists such as Ginny Lemon, Amber Rose Turner, Corinne, Loui Von Dini, Woofy Powder, Tia Callum, and Kronika Delta.
August
In August, Worcester Theatres became a finalist in both the Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Venue of the Year and Festival and Event of the Year categories at the Visit Worcestershire Tourism Awards. During this month, Worcester Theatres also partnered with Speak Volumes Festival CIC. Established in 2023, Speak Volumes Festival is a celebration of Worcester’s emerging, diverse, and vibrant arts scene. Focused on providing accessible creative opportunities to local artists, young adults, and disabled and neurodiverse people in the Worcestershire area, Speak Volumes Festival is ‘Worcester’s own bold and beloved student-made, new and emerging, disabled-led and inclusive arts festival’. The partnership aims to offer dynamic and affordable workshops for all in the heart of Worcester city centre at Worcester Theatres' historic venue Huntingdon Hall.
September
In September, Worcester Theatres launched WT Performance Hub and welcomed our first 15 new students. The Level 3 BTEC Extended Diploma in Performing Arts provides a high-quality arts education for students aged 16 to 19. The two-year BTEC course develops areas of dance, drama, music and musical theatre in a creative collaborative environment. Worcester Theatres is one of the few professional theatres in the UK to be offering a fully accredited BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Performing Arts. Students have the opportunity to develop practical and academic skills in the performing arts sector, alongside gaining valuable industry experience from industry professionals, with exclusive access to the Swan Theatre facilities, and Worcester Repertory Company (also known as Worcester Rep) production creative teams. To book a place on one of our Open Days on Saturday 14 February or Saturday 18 April 2026 please contact the Outreach team on [email protected].
October
In October, Worcester Theatres and Crave Arts launched a 2-year literary department project, Shire Stories. Funded by the Arts Council, the mission is to uncover unique perspectives from underrepresented communities, and nurture talent through a combination of dynamic workshops and personalised feedback from professional script readers and dramaturgs. During this month, Worcester Theatres held Spooky Sauce in the Swan Studio, showcasing a cabaret superstar, Joe Black. The evening was a night of high camp and gruesome fun where the audience dressed to impress and party with the Saucy acts in a celebration of all things Halloween.
November & December
The end of the year saw the start of the dazzling Sleeping Beauty pantomime produced by the Worcester Repertory Company, with Ian Good returning as beloved Dame and Director of the 67-show production. Worcester Theatres’ Sleeping Beauty pantomime hit record-breaking numbers with 20,000 theatregoers attending the production over the 5-week season, marking a major milestone for the charity. The 32-day production featured 67 shows and 27 cast members, alongside 1,005 dance routines, 938 musical numbers, 1,407 jokes told by Fester the Jester, 268 pots of face and body glitter used by the cast, 603 evil laughs from Carabosse, 670 costume changes by Nurse Dottie Dettol, and 335 children joining the stage to sing the chorus of Witch Doctor. Tickets for the 2026–2027 pantomime Robin Hood are now available via the Worcester Theatres website.
Do you want to keep up with our 2026 events and news here at Worcester Theatres? Follow us on social media to see regular updates about what we're up to!